Thill-support.



PATENTBD JUNE l2, 1906.

D. H. LOVELBSS.

- THILL SUPPORT. APPLIGATION FILED AUG.2B.1905.

AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID H. LOVELESS, OF PROVO, UTAH, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO WALTER G. TAYLOR, ONE-FOURTH TO GEORGE TAYLOR, JR., AND ONE-FOURTH TO JOHN J. LOVELESS, ALL OF PROVO, UTAH.

THlLL-SUPPORT.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1906.

Application filed August 28,1905. Serial No. 276.100.

.To a/ZZ whom it r11/ty concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID H. LovELEss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Provo city, in the county of Utah and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shaft' or Thill Supports; and I do declare the following 'to 'be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in shaft or thill supports for vehicles; and it consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to improve and simplify the construction and operation of devices of this character, and thereby render the same more efficient and durable'in use and less expensive to manufacture.

The above and other objects are attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, showing it applied to the shaft and axle of a vehicle. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the keeper which is carried by the axle, and Fig. 4 is a similar view of a slightly-modified form of keeper.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes the shaft and 2 the axle, of a vehicle of any description, and 3 denotes my irnproved holding device, which is adapted to support the shaft, thill, or tongue in its elevated osition, as shown. The device consists o a catch or latch 4, which is carried by the shaft 1, and a keeper 5, which is carried by the axle and adapted to be engaged by the catch or latch 4. The catch 4 is preferably constructed of a single piece of resilient metal and is adapted to be adjustably secured upon the upper side of the shaft 1. As shown, said latch has its rear end bent to form an Sshaped curve, which 4provides a resilient jaw 6, adapted to engage the loop of the keeper 5. The straight portion of the latch 4 is adjustably secured upon the shaft 1 by means of the usual T-shaped bolts 7, which pass through longitudinally-dis osed slots 8, formed in the latch, as shown. n order to adjust the free end 6 of the latch to cause it to properly engage the keeper 5, T provide a tension-bolt 9, which has adjusting-nuts V11 upon its threaded end above and below the latch, whereby it may be adjusted, as will be readily understood. The kee er 5 (shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, of the rawings) is formed from a single piece of metal rod by bending it to form a latch-receiving or keeper loop 12 and an attaching portion 13. The loop is of substantially U form and is disposed vertically at right angles to the open-slotted attaching portion 13, which latter is ada ted to engage the under side of the axle 2. The keeper is secured upon the axle by means of a clip 14, which may, if desired, be the same one which secures the shaft or thill coupling upon the axle. This clip 14 is of the usual U form and has its threaded ends 15 projecting through the opening or slot formed in the attaching portion 13 of the keeper, as will be readily understood. In-

stead of constructing the keeper 5 as just described, the same may be constructed as shown in Fig. 4 -of the drawings. In this form it will be seen that the loop 12 is formed in the center of the piece of rod from :which the keeper is formed, and both of its ends are nbent inwardly and rearwardly in parallel relation to form the attaching portion 13.

The use and advantage of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accomp anying drawings.

It will be seen that when the two membersV of the device are properly adjusted the latch or catch 4 will spring into the loop of the keeper 5 when the shaft or thill l is in its elevated position, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The frictional en agement of the curved end 6 of the latch wit the top of the loop 12 is sufficient to support the weight of the shafts, and this engagement may be varied by adjusting the nuts 11 upon the bolt 9, as previously explained.

Owing to the simplicity of the construction it will be seen that the parts may be manu-.

used for supporting a pair of shafts or thills,

IOO

it Will be understoodthat the saine may. also be used to support the tongue or pole of. a vehicle.-

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the rninor details of construction may-loe resorted to Without departing fi'rornthe principle or sacrilioing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention/vhat I claimasnew, and desire to secure -by-Letters-` Patent, is-

1. A thill-support comprising a springlatch secured onltlieupper side ofathill, priojectinginvvardly.,therefrom,and .having its in- Wardly-proj eoting portions `curved to form v a resilientl jaw, meansrto adjust said-.jaw to- WardK andfrorn the pivotV of the-thill'fcoupling,` and a keeper securedto` the aX-le and having anUupWardly-extended loop through which said resilient` jaw of the-latch passes, said j aW engaging the upper endy of said loo A thill-supportY comprising Aay springlatch secured on andflongitudinally adjustable 'With referenceto the thill and formed with a curved resilient jaw rojecting beyondthe inner end of the thill and a keeper secured on the axle and having an upwardlyextendedfloop through which the'said resilien,t.jaw of the yloop extends, said jaw engagingthe upper end of the said loop.

n testimony, whereof. I have hereunto set my, hand in -presencevofi'two subscribing Wit'- nesses.

Y DAVID' H; LOVELESS. Witnesses:

ALFRED FI BECKMAN, P.' C.' MATTOX. 

